Trusts

The Law Offices of Saidis, Sullivan & Rogers can help you with all of your estate planning needs, including the creation of a living trust. We have drafted living trusts for our estate planning clients for years. Our estate planners are highly knowledgeable about federal and state regulations and can help you protect your assets so that they will be passed on to your loved ones when you die.

Federal Estate Tax Exemption

The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 clearly spells out the amount of money your estate can be worth in order to be exempt from federal estate taxes.

In 2009, the federal exemption is $3.5 million. That means that if the gross worth of your estate is less than $3.5 million, you will not have to pay federal estate taxes. If the gross worth of your estate exceeds this value, you will be forced to pay estate taxes to the federal government.

The exemption law is subject to change in 2010. The government will most likely reset the exemption value at this time.

Trust and Estate Litigation Lawyers

The lawyers at Saidis, Sullivan & Rogers represent individuals in all forms of trust and estate litigation, whether as a beneficiary, potential beneficiary, executor, or trustee. There are many reasons a will or trust from a deceased family member may be contested:

• Undue influence
• Lack of testamentary capacity
• Executor/trustee breach of fiduciary duty
• Disputes between children and a step-parent over assets

We represent clients in asserting or defending claims involving trust or probate estates dealing with:

• Will and trust contests
• Proceedings to interpret ambiguous provisions
• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Elder financial abuse claims
• Spousal property characterization proceedings
• Disputed fee requests
• Actions to remove fiduciaries
• Life insurance trust disputes

Our attorneys have a strong command of Pennsylvania’s estate planning laws and administration procedures. We are capable of handling highly complex cases involving multi-layered relationships, elaborate wills and trusts, and conflicting legal matters in administering or contesting a will or trust.

The attorneys at Saidis, Sullivan & Rogers can help you draft a living trust that will protect your assets and help you avoid costly probate fees. Please contact one of our estate planning lawyers today to schedule a consultation.